Carding-engine.



A. H. MORTON.

CARDING ENGINEa APPLICATION FILED FEB. I3. 1915.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

COLUMBIA FMNOHRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

CARDING-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 3, 1915.

Application filed February 13, 1915. Serial No. 7,923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. MORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and-State .of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carding-Engines; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in carding engines.

When a carding engine is operating in perfect condition, with the top flats traveling along the bends of the main cylinder and around the top flat chainsprockets, the top flat chain is stretched taut so that the top flats are in close contact With the top flat disks as they pass around them; and as a result of this perfect Working order, of the moving parts of the carding engine, the stripping plate may be adjusted closely to the clothing of both the maincylinder and the top flats to regulate the amount of strippings taken off by the top flats, and the stripping comb may be so adjusted with relation to the top flats as to properly perform the stripping operation; but this perfect operating condition of the carding engine does not continue indefinitely. By reason of its continuous use, the top flat chain gradually wears and becomes slack, so that the top flats are no longer in close contact with the top flat disks, andthereupon the top flats sag down and their clothingrubs against the stripping plate. and damages the clothing, and as the top flats advance upward around the disks, the clothing is struck by the stripping comb. To alleviate these conditions, in the attempt to restore. the parts to their former relation, it has ,beenthe practice to tighten the chain, thereby increasing the chain wear vand making the wearing conditions still worse. Sometimes,

however,oinstead of the chain beingitightened, the stripping plate is adjusted away fromthe' bite or point of tangency of the traveling flats with the'cylinder, but inasmuch as thisafl'ec'ts the operation of the card, it is undesirable. The stripping comb also is sometimes adjusted rearwardly in the attempt to bring the flats and stripping comb into proper relation. But this adjustment does not remove the cause of the trouble,so

that chain tightening has been the common and unsatisfactory attempt to preserve the proper relations of the parts. This necessitates keepingthe chain under a heavy tension, which causes excessive wear and consequent necessity of frequent readjustment and eventual replacement of the chain. This necessity of keeping the top flat chain taut, and the mechanical evils resulting therefrom, has sometimes forced the adoption of the makeshift expedient of readjusting the stripping plate to prevent the top flat clothing from striking it, in spite of the fact that it causes an increase in the amount of strip. So, too, it has been proposed to provide means for holding the comb at a predetermined distance from the flats, irrespective of the position of the flatsldue to the looseness of the chain. Finally, by reason of the constant hightension to which the chain has been subjected, the tightening of the chain is ineffective to hold the top flats in close contact with the disks. Anew chain is then required,

' 'The object'of the present invention is to produce a construction in carding engines that Will make it possible to maintain, irrespective of the slackness of the chain, the

top flats in close contact with the top flat disks, so that the stripping plate and the stripping comb may be unalterably maintained in the most desirable positions of adjustment, without any liability of the clothing of the top flats rubbing against either.

To this end the inventionv contemplates mounting the top flat disk on a bearing indeso that the relation between the flats and the disks will not depend upon the tautness of the chain, and causing the sprocket wheel top of the disk so as to exert a pulling strain on the top flats then approaching the stripping comb, and thereby cause them to hug the disks. This construction has the advan- 'tage further not only of securing a correct presentation of the clothing of the top flats to the stripping plate and to the stripping ing in preferred forman embodiment of the pendent of the sprocket, as for example, on 'a pro ection of the sprocket shaft bracket to engage and drive the flats at or near the invention, Figure 1 shows a portionrof a main cylinderpthe top flats, topflat'chain sprocket and assoclated parts; Fig.2 is an enlargedview showing a portionof the-chain main cylinder, so that the clothing 9 of the top flats is roperly presented to the clothing of the main Cylinder. The traveling 8 are articulated in the usual manner with the top flat chain 10, Which flats are driven by the sprocket Wheel 11 mounted upon the sprocket Wheel-shaft 12, and held against relative movement therewith by the the flatsis p key v The top flat disk 14: is rotatably mounted" between the bracket 15 and the sprocket 1'1 u 'on an inward projection 16 of the bracket. The diameter of the sprocket is such that when it is mounted on the sprocket shaft it engages the top flat chain-near the top" of the top flat disk, that is-,'a'bove the stripping. comb 17, as is shown in Fig. I, so thatjrthe operation of driving around the disk.

The effbct of this ullingmotion communibat'ed through the chain, on account of the position of the engaging teeth 18 ofthe sprocket With relation to the stripping comb, to cause all the advancing top flats from the one before the stripping plate 19 around up to the onesWhosebosses 20 are directly engagedby the sprocket teeth 18, to closely hug the surface o'fthe top flat disk, regardless of the slackness of the chain. The result that the clothing of the traveling' top flats is" always properly presented to the stripping, plate 19 and to the. stripping comb 17.

its

stripping comb;

Although the top flat driving sprocket is shown-1m the drawing" as heated as usual area-g g beside the" top flat disk, but eccentric thereto, itis not" necessary, ithin the scope of theg esent invention, to confine it to that position, since the invention contemplates applying the motive power to the flats Within thef mec'hanica'l vicinity of and beyond the strip ing. comb, But to secure the best practical results it is necessary that tlieflat driving. means be so positioned that it' will exert a pan from above the stripping comb upo those top 2 flats adv n i g' toward eistfripping page and the thedriving means he confinedto; a sprocket. Xnyfothersuitable mechanical arrangement may be. substituted ror" the spr'o' ket."

Theliresent invention, then, may be said to" reside mounting; the top flat-disk indpende 1y. if; the haini driving sprocket or lrfor med by pulling them up Nor is it necessary that I to hug-the disk ars di-iving means, and" preferably ro tatable eccentrically thereto, and applying motive means to the chain Within the:

chanical vicinity of and in such relative position to the stripping comb as to cause the top flats, regardless of the slackness of the chain,-; to contact closelyvvith the Working surface of the top flat disk, the working surface of the disk being that portion thereof which presents the top flats to the stripping comb and to the strip ping plate. a a

This invention embraces a new depar ture in causing the clothing of" the top flats to be correctly presented to the stripping plate and the stripping comb'; it is therefore not limited to the specific 'co'nstr'ufc'tion shown and described, butincludes' broadly all constructions Within the spirit of the invention. I 2

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is: 1 1. A carding engine, having, in combination, a main cylinder, revolving top flats,- a top flat stripping comb, a disk for supportingthetop flats, and means independent 'of the disk but beyond the stripping comb and Within'the periphery of the' disk adapted to exert an upward pull on the top flats approaching the stripping comb,

constructed and arranged to hold the top flats in contact with 'the surfaceof the disk in their progressby the stripping" comb,

2. A carding engine, having, combination, a main cylinder, revolving; top flats,

a top flat stripping comb, a top flat disk for positioning, the flats in relation to the comb, and means engaging the top flats at onl of the disk for an or near the top ing the top flats.

3. A carding engine, having, in b mbination, a main cylinder,.revolving top flats, ajtop flat disk supporting. the flats, and

meansieng'aging the "top flats at or near the top only of the disk for driving the flats and for causing them to hug closely the surface offthe disk in their passage by the stripping'comb. l. A- card ng engine, having, in combi nation, a main cylinder, revolving top: flats,

a'disk for supporting'the top ;flats,=and a sprocket for: driving the topv flats, the disk being; e'ccentrica'lly disposed 'With relation to the sprocket and relatively movable thereto. I q

5 A carding, engine, having, in combi? nation, a main cylinder, revolvingtop flats,

a disk for supporting the flats,- a top flat "strippingcomb, and means independentof the disk;near butbeyond the stripping comb for driving the s top flats and causing Lthem V closely ras they pass-the strippingfcomb J 7 r ,6.5A carding engine, having, in combinatipma main 'cylinder, revolving-top flats, a disk for supporting and revolving with the top flats, and means for driving the the flats located Within the periphery of top flats at a point near but beyond Where the disk operating to cause the flats to be 10 the toAp of the disk engages the top flatsi0 drawn against and to hug the disk.

carding engine, having, in com ination, a main cylinder, revolving top flats, ALBERT MORTON a smooth-surfaced disk for supporting and Witnesses: revolving freely with the top flats, and in- HORACE VAN EVEREN, dependently revoluble means for driving HARRY A. ENGLISH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

